Emirates is said to be drawing up plans to permanently decommission 40 per cent of its Airbus A380 superjumbo fleet with a final decision likely to be officially announced within days according to several sources said to be familiar with the matter. The Dubai-based airline, which is by far the world’s largest operator of the A380 superjumbo, grounded its entire 115-strong fleet of double-deck planes on March 25 due to travel restrictions imposed by the government in response of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A total of 46 Airbus A380’s have now been earmarked to be permanently retired and may never fly passengers ever again. The decision comes less than two weeks after Sir Tim Clark, the longtime President of Emirates declared “the A380 is over”. In an interview with Gulf newspaper The National, Sir Tim warned that the airline would be 20 – 30 per cent smaller as it emerged from the Coronavirus crisis.